'He wanted to help animals': Israel kills Gaza veterinarian after the ceasefire

Normally, Moaz Abo Rokba waited a few days after a ceasefire in Gaza before returning home to inspect the damage.

But when a truce was announced earlier this month to end the war, the Palestinian veterinarian could not wait.

He immediately travelled back to Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip to see what had become of his neighbourhood.

His brother, Abdelrahman Abo Rokba, tried calling several times to make sure he had arrived safely, but the phone network was down. Much of northern Gaza’s infrastructure had been destroyed during Israel’s two-year genocidal war. 

The next morning, as the family prepared breakfast in their shelter in southern Gaza, Abdelrahman received a phone call from his cousin, Iyad Abo Rokba. 

“He asked if we had heard from Moaz,” Abdelrahman told Middle East Eye. 

“Then he told us that witnesses had seen him killed after an Israeli air strike in Jabalia.”

Since the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on 11 October, Israel has repeatedly violated the truce, launching dozens of deadly air strikes and shootings.

Many of those killed were Palestinians attempting to return to their homes, only to be targeted by Israeli forces in the process.

So far, Israel has killed more than 211 Palestinians since the ceasefire began, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to over 68,643 - most of them civilians.

Skilled surgeon 

Moaz, 30, was one of Gaza’s few veterinarians capable of performing surgical operations, saving the lives of thousands of pets and stray animals across the besieged Strip.

The father of two earned his veterinary medicine degree with distinction from Zagazig University in Egypt, as the discipline was not yet available in Gaza. 

After graduating, he returned to his home in Jabalia Camp in 2019 and began training at a local clinic before joining the Gaza Municipality as a food quality inspector.

For three years, Moaz monitored and tested meat sold in local markets, ensuring it met public health standards. He later joined the Ministry of Health as a livestock and food products inspector, overseeing the quality of milk, cheese and meat on farms.

'Moaz was passionate, kind-hearted, generous, and deeply knowledgeable'

- Abdelrahman Abo Rokba, brother

In May 2023, he opened a small veterinary clinic in western Gaza City, aiming to provide affordable treatment for pets and rescue stray animals. It also became a modest source of income for his family after his father died in 2019.

“Moaz was passionate, kind-hearted, generous, and deeply knowledgeable,” said his brother Abdelrahman, 22. 

“He truly loved his work. He inspired me and many of our friends to study veterinary medicine to help more animals in Gaza.”

Abdelrahman recalled that many young trainees used to assist Moaz in the clinic. 

“He taught us how to handle surgical cases and emergencies. Everyone respected him.”

Although Moaz received several offers to teach at universities, he refused to limit himself to academia. He wanted to practise, help animals directly, and continue learning through books and online tutorials.

His brother said that despite the limited tools available in the besieged Gaza Strip, Moaz was able to perform complex operations such as uterus removals, amputations, and the treatment of poisoned animals.

Moaz was also preparing to perform Gaza’s first platinum implant surgery for a cat with a broken leg, just before the war started. 

‘He didn’t want to die’

When Israeli bombardment began in October 2023, Moaz and his family fled their home in Jabalia Camp during the first week of the war, shortly before it was destroyed.

They moved to Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza to stay with relatives. Despite being displaced, Moaz continued treating sick and injured animals in the streets whenever he could.

Weeks later, friends told him that his Gaza City clinic had been destroyed in an Israeli air strike. 

Even then, he kept offering his skills, performing surgeries on wounded pets and strays, often in cooperation with the Sulala animal rescue organisation.

“He was scared of the Israeli bombings and ground invasions,” Abdelrahman said, “but he couldn’t stop helping. He would go out even under fire to treat injured animals and feed hungry ones under the Israeli attacks.”

During the long months of starvation, Moaz also struggled to help his family survive.

“He used to get sick from exhaustion and fear when we were trying to get a sack of white flour or canned food from the limited aid trucks that were entering Gaza through Rafah,” his brother recalled. 

“He followed the news every night, praying for a ceasefire. He didn’t want to die.”

Missing body 

When the ceasefire was finally announced earlier this month, Moaz and his family celebrated with a can of peaches - a rare treat after months without fruit.

Unlike previous truces, Moaz immediately gathered his things and returned to Jabalia. The family learned he had been struck by an air strike days later.

“My mind was about to explode when I heard that,” Abdelrahman said. “My mother and his wife couldn’t believe it.” 

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They tried calling friends and neighbours in the north, but the communication blackout made contact impossible.

Abdelrahman and his uncle decided to search for him. 

“When we got close to Jabalia, we saw Israeli tanks still stationed there, firing at evacuees returning to their homes,” he said.

“I wanted to keep going, but people warned me to stop. Then an artillery shell hit a man nearby, severing his legs instantly. It wasn’t a military zone - they were supposed to have withdrawn.”

He waited for hours, asking anyone if they had seen Moaz, his bicycle or his backpack. No one had. Eventually, he returned to Deir al-Balah.

The family still refused to believe Moaz was dead. With his body missing - and knowing he was a well-known veterinarian, not a threat - they hoped he had been detained, injured or trapped somewhere.

Abdelrahman kept trying to reach the area, but Israeli gunfire made it impossible. Friends and pet owners began sharing Moaz’s photo on social media, hoping someone would recognise him or know his whereabouts.

Bereaved wife 

After eight days, a stranger called Abdelrahman and said he had seen Moaz’s body in Jabalia on the day of the ceasefire.

“The man said he saw Moaz on his bicycle, targeted by an air strike. He moved his dead body near a wall and covered it with a piece of cardboard,” Abdelrahman said.

Abdelrahman went with the man to the location. “We went despite the risk of being targeted again,” he said. 

'He was only trying to heal animals'

- Rania Abu al-Foul, Moaz’s wife

“When we reached the area, we didn’t find his body, only his cap and backpack, full of shrapnel. We believe someone buried him later.”

For the first eight days, Rania Abu al-Foul, Moaz’s wife, refused to believe he was gone.

“I lived in hope that he was still alive,” she told MEE. 

“I contacted a lawyer to check if his name appeared among detainees in Israeli prisons, but he didn’t find anything. When I saw his shattered belongings, I knew he had been killed.”

Rania, 26, had already lost much of her family in the war - her father, a brother, and three uncles were killed in Israeli attacks. Another brother was detained but was expected to be released during the ceasefire.

“Instead of celebrating my brother’s release,” she said, her eyes full of tears, “he came to offer condolences for Moaz’s death.”

Moaz was not only a dedicated veterinarian but also a devoted husband, father, and son. He supported his mother and six siblings financially and emotionally. He and Rania had two young sons, Yossif, three, and Hatem, one.

“He always encouraged me to complete my pharmacy degree,” Rania said. 

“He planned to open a small pharmacy next to his clinic once the war ended. We used to sit by the beach after work, drinking coffee and talking about our dreams.

“He promised me we would visit Egypt one day, to see the places where he studied and visited in Egypt. But Israel destroyed all of that.

“Everyone in Gaza knew Moaz was innocent. He was only trying to heal animals. And yet, they killed him.”

She insisted he was not killed by chance. 

“Israel always aims to kill the mindful, educated people of Palestine.”